Write In The Driving Seat

Paul Townsend, Tadley

Shell V-Power claims ‘More power, for longer’. Just a catchy strap line? As I discovered on a recent visit to the UK Shell Technology Centre, that statement is totally justified.

Scientists at Shell could be forgiven for practising magic, not chemistry. In Shell V-Power, petrol and diesel, they have created fuels which are something of a paradox. They allow an engine to produce more power, more consistently, yet at the same time make it cleaner and more economical. The science is very complicated, but the premise is very simple. Maximised efficiency.

So you’re at the pump, filling your car with Shell V-Power, taking in the heady aroma of exotic ethers gushing into your tank. ‘Ferrari fuel for the road’ you read on the poster at the till. ‘I haven’t got a Ferrari’ you think to yourself. It doesn’t matter, everyone will benefit. Back to your car, start the engine. While you’re still fiddling with the seatbelt, Shell V-Power is already making a difference.

Inside your engine, rough, burnt deposits sitting on previously smooth curves are ruining the passage of the fuel air mix, soaking it up with their sponge like surface. Costing you power, costing you money. But Shell V-Power is here now. The advanced detergents are cleaning away these power draining crusty disruptions. At the same time, unique friction reducers are easing the strain, the pistons are moving effortlessly, and previously wasted energy is now making it to the wheels. Accelerating out of the forecourt you’re working the engine hard, but don’t worry. Where lower grade fuels would start to flounder, Shell V-Power’s 99 Octane rating means it has got it all safely under control. The engine sounds good, it feels good, and most importantly, you’re getting ‘More power, for longer’. See, not just a catchy strap line.

Paul Townsend, Tadley3.35813